Refrigerator.



N0.7a0,939 C PATENTED JAN.24,1905.

G. H. GOOLIDGE.

REPRIGrERATOR.`

.APPLIGATION FILED 001:1, 1902.

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No. 780,939. PATENTED JAN. 24, 1905.

C. I-I. GOOLIDGE.

REFRIGERATOR. APPLIOATION FILED 00121, 1902.

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UNiTEDv STATES Patented January 24, 190 5.

'PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES H. COOLIDGE, OF MALDEN, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO COOLIDGE REFRIGERATOR AND CAR COMPANY, OF BOSTON, MAS- SACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS.

REFRIGERATOFI.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. I730,939, dated January 24, 1905.

Be it known that I, CHARLES H. CooLiDGu, a citizen of the United States, residing at the city of Malden, in the county of Middlesex, State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Refrigerators, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention is particularly designed for use in connection with railways; but it is equally applicable to other purposes where a dry as well as a cool air is desired.

Referring to the drawings forming part of this specification, Figure 1 is avertical longitudinal section of a refrigerator-car embodying my invention, taken upon line l 1 in Eig. 2 looking in the direction of the arrows. Fig. 2 is a transverse section of the same on the line X X in Fig. 1. Eig. 3 is a detail sectional view showing more clearly the means for temporarily terminating the refrigerating action, and Fig. 4t a perspective View of an automatic means for operating the same.

The car-body l, with which my invention is shown as applied, is formed with double iioors', sides, top, and ends, as indicated in the drawlngs, while its doors 2 are double andl folding, as indicated by Fig. 1.

Preferably at each end of the car, although but one end is illustrated, is my refrigerating device, whichconsists of an ice-container 10, having its floor located at approximately halfway between the car floor and roof and iilled through a suitable trap-door 3 in the car-roof. This container or box l() extends for the entire width of the car, and hence requires for Application led October l, 1902. Serial No. 125,492.

The side 2O does not extend to the roof of the car; neither` does the iioor 25 reach the car end, a space or passage 11 being thereby left at the ice-box top and a somewhat narrower passage 13 being left through the floor. The object of these passages is to permit of the air within the car rising up and into the ice-box, while the cooled air within the latter flows down into the car, and thus by gravity maintaining a constant circulation between the car and cooler.

Resting upon the iioor 25 are the blocks 16, having the slats or grating 15 secured thereto for the direct support of the ice. Such grating is made in sections, as shown in Fig. 2, to more easily permit of its removal through the trapdoor 3 for cleansing or repair. The floor 25 being inclined, as shown in Fig. 1, the reason for which will be explained hereinafter, said blocks are made triangular to locate the slats 15 on the level. Said blocks abut against the board 35, which is iixed to the car end and sides, and are thereby kept from sliding down the inclined floor 25. Said board 35 is inclined, as shown, to facilitate drainage from it to the floor 25, and 1 prefer to have the galvanized sheet-iron 36, with which it is sheathed, extended 'between the blocks 16 to reach nearer the iiooi' 25, and so diminish the danger of any spattering on the part of the water dripping therefrom to the floor and a consequent descent of moisture through the passage 13 to the car-floor, for it is one of the objects of my invention to construct a refrigerator-car which shall be absolutely dry. Y

At the edge of the iioor 25 is fixed a vertical board 3l, projectinga short distance above such floor and composing therewith a sink 30, the same being made water-tight, as are all the other inner walls of the ice-box, by the sheet-iron sheathing 33, as shown in Eig. 3. At each end of this sink and at the sides of the car is a drain-pipe 32,descending through the car-bottom, the two pipes serving to effectually drain the sink whether the car is on a level or canted to either side.

The board 35 is located above the upper edge of the board 31 for a distance about equal to the width of the passage 13 in order not to interfere with the free circulation of air through the cooler or ice-box.

I/Vhen the ear is being filled or emptied and the doors 2 at either one or both sides of the car wideopen, the incoming warm air will till the car and freely circulate through the ice-boxes, rapidly melting the ice and causing additional labor and expense in resupplying the boxes. To prevent this, I provide the passage 13 with a door 40, hinged to the car end and adapted when swung upto a horizontal position to fully close said passage. As we cannot expect the freightmen and lumpers to remember to open and close this door, I have provided means for rendering such elosure automatic and dependent upon the similar action of the ear-doors.

Fixed to the door 2 is a cleat 49, pivotally carryingone end of the rod48` so that as said door is opened and closed said rod will be moved longitudinally back and forth. rIhe other end of the rod is attached to the vertical leg of the bell-crank lever 47, while from the other leg hangs a rod 46, the lower end of which extends below the door 40 and is connected therewith by a link 45. By this arrangement whenever the cardoors are opened the door or trap 40 is automatically closed and all circulation through the ice-box immediately cut ofi', for if the cold air in the box cannot descend therefrom there can be no inrush of warm air through the passage 11.

To enable the trap 40 to be operated by the opening or closing of the car-doors upon both sides or on one side alone, I provide a duplicate closing arrangement at each side of the car, as .indicated in Fig. 2, but do not have the rods 46 pivoted to the bell-crank levers 47, but only loosely hung therefrom, so that when one bell -crank lever only is moved through the action of its connected car-door then the rod 46 at the opposite side of the car will slide up without interference within its bell-crank lever as raised by the closure of the trap. To partially counterbalance said trap 40,and thereby reduce to a minimum the effort required for its closure, I provide the weighted lever 42, connected at its light end to the trap by a link 43, as shown in Fig. 2.

The trap-closing arrangement just described is only adapted for ears whose doors open inward. To enable outward-swinging doors to operate said trap, I prefer the construction illustrated in Fig. 4, where the rock-shaft 48" is provided with an arm 49, which by the pressure of the door 2 when closed rocks said shaft and swings the arm 47 L upward. This, through the intermediate lever 47c and connection 47", causes the rod 46 to descend and the trap 4() to open. In this ease the weighted lever 42 more than counterbalances said trap, so that when the car-door is opened said weighted lever raises said trap, and so terminates air circulation through the ice-box.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the trap 4l) and its operating parts are protected from interference by carelessly located bundles and boxes by means of the grating 41.

To prevent pieces of ice from jarring out into the car through the passage 11 when the ice-box has been filled rather too full, l provide said passage with a screen 12, of heavy wire rod, as shown in Fig. 1.

I have found that by torming the side and floor 2O 25 double, and thereby inclosing deadair spaces wholly unpacked with ashes, sawdust, or other alleged non-comluctors, there is absolutely no condensation of moisture or sweating on the exterior or car side of the ice-box; neither is there any possibility of ice particles or water-drippings iinding their way into the car. The resultis that my refrigerator-car will carry meat without tainting for an unusual length of time and at a minimum of expense in ice and attention.

IVhatI clailn as my invention, and for which I desire Letters Patent, is as follows. to wit:

1. In a refrigerator-car, the combination with the car-body haring doors in its sides, of the ice-container having its iioors separated for a space from the car end, the hinged trap adapted to close the opening` between said iioor and the car end, vertical rods at the ends of said trap, connecting means between each of said rods and one of the doors for raising the rods by the opening of the doors, and connecting means between each of said rods and the trap, each of said rods having a sliding connection with one of said connecting means, whereby the opening of either door closes said trap whether the other door be opened or not, substantially as described.

2. In a refrigerator-ear, the combination with the car-body having` swinging doors in its sides, of the ice-container having` its lioor separated for a space from the car end, the hinged trap adapted to close the opening between said floor and the car end, vertical rods at the ends of said trap, connecting means between each of said rods and one of the doors for raising the rods by the opening of the doors, and connecting means between each el said rods and the trap, said rods having sliding connections with the connecting means between the rods and doors,whereby the opening of either door closes said trap \\'hether the other door be opened or not, substantially as described.

In testimony that l claim the foregoing invention I have hereunto set my hand this 27th day of September, 1902.

CHARLES 1l. COOL] DG 1*).

\Vitiiesses:

A. B. Urlnml, GRACE lNIei-rr. 

